If a 1000 Dram Cigarette Becomes 5000 Drams, Then People Might Consider Whether to Smoke or Not: Babken Tunyan

Let’s be honest, if the price of cigarettes needs to rise by 32%, or by 32 drams, and then next year it goes up by 45 drams, I seriously doubt that this will have any impact on the fight against smoking. This was stated by Babken Tunyan, a member of the ruling faction, in the National Assembly.

“I am not the only one who thinks this way; our committee members have expressed the opinion that if a 1000 dram cigarette becomes 5000 drams, then a person might think about whether to smoke or not. At that time, there is a risk that people may switch to lower-quality cigarettes or smuggled cigarettes,” Tunyan noted.

According to the MP, the gradual increase in the price of cigarettes could lead to citizens spending more money on cigarettes than on food. “Since the laws we have adopted since 2019, how much have they contributed to the fight against smoking? We have taken several steps, right? We have raised excise taxes, imposed display bans; I think it would now be interesting to receive some summary data. I am not against reduction, but steps should not be taken that are perceived by society as mere attempts to collect additional funds,” Tunyan said.